In every other diet, the first step is to be told what you can’t eat. You can’t have this or that; it’s awful.

Level 1 is a perfect introductory spot that can help you feel the effects of ketosis, and get you more energized and prepared.

This is a delicious time where you will be encouraged to eat more healthy fats, like avocados and macadamia or Brazil nuts, and experiment with green leafy vegetables and fatty, prime cuts for the meat eaters.

In fact, in level 1, you are about to learn how you can still eat all those incredible foods you love like modified pizza and bagels, without gaining a pound!

Level 1: Reducing Your Carbs

If losing fat and eating delicious foods sounds too good to be true, think again. In the keto diet, you will be introduced to delicious and indulgent foods that can help your body learn to use fat for fuel.

To trigger this process, you’ll want to start reducing your carbs.

Now, many people get hung up on going 100% keto right off the mark. And in our experience, this tends to yield poor results, especially in the long-term.

Instead, keep reading as we walk you through how to start, and reduce your carbs stress-free.

How to Cut Carbs

For the most part, this doesn’t mean missing out on all the delicious foods you enjoy; it means switching some of your meals to a lower carb version.

There are now keto versions of pizza, bread, pasta, noodles, and so on. You may need to order them online, but many grocery stores are opening up their fares to include low-carb and keto options.

You’ll be surprised by the number of keto alternatives. Miracle rice and noodles are great (so long as you wash them thoroughly), and cauliflower pizza is a thing.

You can buy many of these at stores, but we prefer to make our own to reduce the number of fillers added to processed foods.

The best part of the ketogenic diet is the desserts. It’s hard to believe you can make just a few small tweaks to your favorite dessert recipes like tiramisu, cheesecake, chocolate mousse, etc. and turn it into a keto-friendly dessert!

That’s right, after years of being told to stop eating fat and fat makes you fat, it’s time to celebrate healthy fats and eat them lavishly.

Don’t get overwhelmed with keto information, or trying to make massive changes to your current diet.

Progress at your own pace and when you either hit a plateau, or you feel like a challenge, progress to the next stage.

We recommend you listen to the occasional audiobook or read some blog posts about the ketogenic diet.

Another great trick for boosting your daily fat intake is adding these oils to your salad.

You’ll notice they become more delicious and you’ll feel satiated for much longer than usual.

The most important thing to do in Stage 1 is to start becoming aware of how many carbs are in foods. Don’t get overwhelmed though. Just start looking at labels and googling carbs in various foods and menu items.

Remember that net carbs are the total carbs in food minus the fiber. It’s net carbs we ultimately want to consume under 20 grams a day.

At first, that may sound tricky, but after a short while you’ll only see the keto-friendly foods out there, and it will become more natural and easy.

Level 2: Carb-cycling

The next stage of doing the keto diet is where things get a little more serious. You’re going to begin doing carb cycling.

This is where you’ll do the keto diet 5 or 6 days a week, and on the other days, you’re free to eat what you want.

Seriously.

On the keto days, you’ll want to lower your carbs to under 20 grams per day.

For those who exercise often, your daily carb intake can be around 30-50 grams.

This is also the time that we recommend you start learning about the foods you eat.

Start with googling the fruits, vegetables, and proteins you eat to learn their carb-counts.

You will be so surprised when you see the massive variations.

As a rule, you want to stick to dark green, leafy vegetables and only a handful of berries occasionally.

Light and bright fruits and veggies tend to be much higher in carbs, and you’ll want to eat those only in moderation.

Generally speaking, when fasting, you will eat fewer meals, which is why it is important to eat nutrient-dense foods and healthy fats, which allow you to hit your macros comfortably (a plate of fat is much smaller than a plate of bloated carbs).

If fasting seems overwhelming to you, that’s normal. People are usually only ready for this stage after six to twelve months of low-carb dieting.

Fasting, in particular, tends to overwhelm people.

It’s recommended to start off slowly by doing a 12 hour fast. This allows your body to get used to not eating for an extended period.

If you experience hunger during your fasting period, know that this will quickly pass.

Intermittent Fasting on a Keto Diet

Many people go too far when starting a fast, and leap to not eating.

A better way to begin fasting is to have an earlier dinner and a later breakfast the next day, so that works out to be a 12-14 hour fast with minimal effort.

It can be extremely beneficial to your progress, and many people love the feeling and clarity.

If you want to try a full 24-hour fast, we recommend doing it once every couple of weeks. Just make sure to drink a lot of water.

Black coffee and tea are considered to be ok but do not add anything to these drinks.

For purists, water only is the ideal method of fasting as any intake of nutrients can have a metabolic response.

As always, however, electrolytes are crucial and should be consumed when fasting in ketosis.

When using intermittent fasting on a keto diet, you’ll want to add extra water and electrolytes to your daily regimen.

We like the Ultima brand as it’s natural and tastes great.

You can also make your mix at home using lemon juice, water, pink Himalayan salt, and balancing out different essential minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and B12.

However, most people prefer to do the self-serve route as it’s much easier and more reliable.

How Intermittent Fasting Works

“Intermittent fasting is allowing the body to have a prolonged period of rest without calorie intake,” explained Dr. Adam Perlman, an internist at the Duke Center for Integrated Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.

It’s like having the best of both worlds.

You get to stay in ketosis and boost your ketone production, but you also get to eat lots of delicious foods and hit your calorie goal so you won’t be starving yourself.

Many keto-ers report an expedited fat loss when using intermittent fasting or overcoming a fat loss stall.

Below are some of the most popular techniques (these are not strictly keto):

The 16:8 Method: This structure involves consuming your meals within an eight-hour window and giving your body a break from food for the next 16 hours.

The 5:2 Diet: Also known as the “Fast Diet,” this type of intermittent fasting includes two nonconsecutive days of a strict 500-calorie diet and five days of low-carb, healthy food.

Alternate Day Fasting: This, according to Petre, is becoming a popular way to kick-start weight loss. The practice involves fasting every other day but eating whatever you want on the non-fasting days.

In most cases, however, many people find a ketogenic diet with carb-cycling the most useful tool in their arsenal.

Fasting can promote fat loss in an unhealthy way if you don’t follow a strict protocol and is not intended for long-term use.

Make Sure Your Calories Count

At level 3, you do need to ensure you are eating enough calories and your macros are correct (the opposite of how you started at level 1).

Don’t stress though, some apps take the math and difficulty out of it, like Carb Manager. Just put in your age, gender, weight, and goals, and they figure out the rest.

This is the way to moving towards your perfect weight and body composition (which is a fancy term for looking great in the mirror). If you’re wondering why people fast, you’re about to find out.

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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results may vary, and testimonials are not claimed to represent typical results. All testimonials are by real people, and may not reflect the typical purchaser’s experience, and are not intended to represent or guarantee that anyone will achieve the same or similar results.